Santiago, Chile was an adventure—as I was sitting in the Santiago airport unaware of the availability of a ticket out of the city, I reflected on the fact that I couldn’t locate my bus out of the city and that hotel in the same vicinity of the bus station had no available rooms. Furthermore, Santiago characterized the end to travel tour that commenced with no sleep the night before departure, a stomach ache in the Mendoza airport all day, vomiting five times in the airport, getting a shot to tame the vomiting, and then debating on the value of this trip compared to going back home to Buenos Aries. Throughout my time in Chile, I learned that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and with that strength you’ll be able to persevere and make it through.
While in the Santiago, Chile airport with no Wifi and no way to guarantee exit out of the country for a few hours, I decided to reflect on the GOOD & GRAYT while in Santiago. I thoroughly enjoyed the architecture that embraced modernity—with subtle touches of European influences. Many of the buildings incorporated hues of blue and glass, cultivating a canvas to reflect the warm sunsets and beautiful mountain sceneries.
Travelling throughout Santiago, on my first day in Chile, the different barrios are what embed deep culture within the city. The Manquehue business district alludes modernity and progressive advancement.
The Manquehue district’s buildings, its inclusion of Parque Arauco, its park, and intra-park social hub Vida Parque embed modernistic value within Santiago.
As I mentioned in posts about my time in China and in Asia—my “right hand, my go to” are malls. I’m so glad that I was able to walk around a mall—honestly it’s like a piece of home. First, I visited Parque Arauco, which is an outdoor shopping and entertainment complex, similar to my hometown’s Las Vegas Town Square Shopping Center with a plethora of shops, cinemas, leisure activities, and restaurants.
Later on that night, I went to the Bellavista “barrio” of Santiago, a neighborhood embedding artistic and lively vibes into Santiago. During my first night in Santiago, my friends and I had dinner at Backstage Life, a restaurant in Patio Bellavista that captures the convergence of Chilean culture & progressive ideals.
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